The Lost Time Lord
by ElderTrash
Summary: Chelsea Smith has always felt different. She never really thought she belonged in her small English town. Maybe it's because she was adopted, or because of the strange dreams she had. Dreams of war and fear and desolation. When a secret kept by her parents for many years comes to light, Chelsea's world will come crashing down.
1. Foreword

Foreword

Right now I want you, the reader, to look in a mirror. Open and close your mouth. Examine the speckles of color in your eyes. Flare your nostrils. Puff out your cheeks. That person you see doing all of these things in the mirror is you. You know yourself better than anyone. You know your likes and dislikes, your deepest darkest secrets, and your most personal desires. But what if everything you thought you knew about yourself was wrong? What if one day you actually got to meet yourself, your true self, for the first time. What if, up until that moment, you were a stranger?


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Chelsea Smith sat in her last class of the day and stared at the board. Her teacher's mouth was moving, but Chelsea didn't hear any words. She propped her head up on her arms and tried to keep her eyelids open. It wasn't like the lesson was boring or anything, its just that she hadn't slept in days. A week ago Chelsea had started having nightmares. Not your average teenage girl nightmares about breakups and horror movies, these nightmares were jumbled sounds and images that flashed in her brain. It seems that every time she closed her eyes she would hear screams and see flashes of orange and red. It wasn't just the nightmares that were new though. Around the same time she started having them, some other strange things began happening. Chelsea had knowledge about things that she had never studied in her life and when she got very close to another person sometimes she could hear their thoughts.

"Ms. Smith would you care to explain to us what a wormhole is?" Chelsea's teacher asked crossly. She had been caught dozing off. Chelsea cleared her throat and rubbed her eyes. She sat up straight in her seat and used every ounce of brainpower she had to try to come up with an answer. She didn't even need to think for long before an answer popped up in her head. "A wormhole is a hypothetical topological feature of space-time that would fundamentally be a shortcut through space and time." When Chelsea finished speaking, she noticed the shocked expressions on the faces of her peers and the disbelief expressed by her teacher. "Um I mean, it's like a space tunnel or something." She stuttered. Her teacher stared at her for a few more moments before nodding and turning back to the diagram on the board. Chelsea sank into her seat. A few students still openly stared at her and a few others stared but tried to hide it.

When the bell rang Chelsea grabbed her backpack and swung it over one shoulder. On her way out, her teacher called her name. She turned around slowly. "Yes sir?" She asked quietly. "How did you know all of that information on wormholes?" Her teacher asked. "Have you been reading ahead?" Chelsea hadn't been reading ahead but she replied, "Yes sir." "Ms. Smith, reading ahead in the lesson is forbidden and I shall advise you not to do it again." her teacher scolded. Chelsea apologized to her teacher and left the classroom. The corridor was clearing up when she stepped out of the classroom. She dodged from side to side to avoid bumping into people. A boy brushed past her shoulder and Chelsea's entire body convulsed. She grabbed a locker to steady herself. Her mind swam and her head flashed her images of American football and cheerleaders and dogs. If there was one thing she hated most about her new found curse, it was the mind entering. This isn't right. She thought. Man was never meant to walk amongst the thoughts of another.

In front of the school Chelsea's mum sat in her car. She honked her horn to try to get Chelsea to move a little faster. When Chelsea got in the car, her mother placed a hand on her forehead. "Are you alright love?" She asked. "You look terribly ill and you were walking at a snail's pace just now." Chelsea swatted her mother's hand away. "I'm fine Mum. Just tired." She said. Her mother didn't believe her but she took her hand away and started the car. They drove in silence for almost ten minutes before Chelsea's mum spoke up. "You really ought to tell me if something's bothering you. I can help if you'd let me." She said. Chelsea gave her mum a weak smile. "I know, but really, I'm fine." Chelsea said. Her mother frowned but didn't argue. Eventually the small fishing town of Westonbrough faded away and the building and neighborhoods were replaced by windmills, silos, and orchards. Finally Chelsea's mum's car turned onto the dirt road that lead to their farm. They drove past the mailbox that said "Smith" and the old empty doghouse. When they pulled into the driveway Chelsea leaped out of the car before it had even come to a full stop. She ran into the house and up the stairs. She rushed into her bedroom and locked the door behind her. Chelsea dumped her schoolbag on the ground by her closet door then fell face down onto her bed. Tears flowed from her eyes and formed dark, salty puddles on her pillow. All she wanted in the entire world was a few winks of sleep, but she was afraid of the images that haunted her every time she closed her eyes.

When Chelsea finally worked up the courage to lift her head up from her pillow, the room around her looked blurry. She waited for her eyes to adjust but the blurr remained. Chelsea looked at her hands and screamed when she could barely see them. The edges of her vision grew dark and blackness began closing in. She screamed for help over and over as her vision slowly deteriorated. Her mum burst into Chelsea's room and raced to her daughter's side. She sat on the bed, holding her weeping daughter. She called for her husband. "Richard!" She screamed. "What's the matter baby, what's wrong?" She asked Chelsea. "I can't see." Chelsea whispered. Her mother helped her to the bathroom where they splashed water into Chelsea's eyes. Slowly the fuzzy blackness began to recede and Chelsea's vision returned and cleared. Her father came into the bathroom with a worried look on his face. Chelsea's mum whispered something into his ear and his worried expression turned to fear. Chelsea sat on the bathroom counter while her parents whispered back and forth. "Mum, Dad, am I dying?" She asked. Her mother turned to her and embraced her tightly. "No Love, you aren't dying." She said. Chelsea pulled out of her mother's embrace and looked her in the eyes. "Am I ill then?" She asked seriously. "No you aren't ill either." Her mum said. Chelsea was growing impatient with her mother's vagueness. "What's the bloody matter with me then!?" She yelled. Her tone of voice shocked her parents. Her father spoke up this time. "Nothing dear, nothing is the matter, sometimes eyes just have little issues, that's all." he said calmly. "But Mummy, Daddy, it's not just my eyes, it's my head too. I haven't slept at all in eight days." Chelsea said, hysterically. "Eight days? Are you sure you're not exaggerating?" Her mother asked. Chelsea hopped off the counter and went into her bedroom. When she returned she handed her mother the sleep schedule that she had to keep for health class. According to the chart, in eight days, Chelsea had slept a grand total of just thirty minutes. Her parents looked more worried than before. "Don't worry Chelsea, it's just a bug, it'll pass." Chelsea's father said. Chelsea tried to calm down. Tears were welling up in her eyes. "Can I see a doctor? Maybe I can get antibiotics." She said. When Chelsea mentioned a doctor's visit, both her parents' eyes widened and they looked nervous. "No need." Her mother said. "But Mum-" "I said NO!" Chelsea's mum interrupted. She took a deep breath and tried to calm down. "Chel, just no." She said.

The dreams came again that night. When sleep finally took Chelsea it was anything but peaceful. She heard screams of men, women, and children. The world flashed orange and red and yellow. But this dream was different than the others because instead of being an observer, watching the scene before her, Chelsea was right in the middle of it. She ran along with the crowd of people. She saw a group of people running against the crowd. They were heading towards whatever everyone was running from. Chelsea contained her curiosity and kept running away. Suddenly everyone disappeared and Chelsea was running alone. She stopped and looked around. The ground was hard, orange, and dusty. Not knowing where she was or where to run she just headed for a forest-y looking area in the distance. For hours she walked through the desolate terrain. It wasn't hot or cold it was just, normal. When she reached the "forest" she looked up in awe at the trees. The leaves were silver and they glistened in the sunlight. Suddenly grass was sprouting up around her feet. Beautiful, golden grass. It grew until it was up to her knees. Chelsea had watched the horror this dreamscape every night for the last week, but tonight, the night when she was fully submerged within it, did she get to see the beauty behind the fear.

Although the landscape was breathtakingly beautiful, Chelsea still had no idea what to do. She walked through the grass and looked up at the trees. When she heard rustling in the grass nearby, she stopped. Slowly, she walked towards the rustling with hopes of running into another human. When she was only ten feet away from the rustling sounds she couldn't see what was making the noises thanks to a huge tree. Suddenly another sound joined the rustling. It sounded like a machine. A chill went up Chelsea's body and the hairs on her arms stood up. She didn't know why, but something felt very wrong. Chelsea took a deep breath and came out from behind the enormous tree. In front of her was a clearing, in it's center was some sort of machine. It looked like a shiny trashcan with a bunch of metal bumps on it. A plunger-looking thing was sticking out of it along with a strange metal tube. Chelsea approached it slowly. "Excuse me?" She said. "Can you tell me if there's a city nearby?" She asked it. The machine didn't move or respond. Chelsea put her hand out and kept moving closer to the robot. When she was only a couple of feet away from it she spoke again. "Can you hear me?" She asked. Still no response. Chelsea moved closer again and placed her outstretched hand on the machine's body. Suddenly a piece on top of the machine spun around to face Chelsea. A blue eye stared at her. It didn't say anything for almost two minutes. Chelsea and the creature just stared at one another until it raised it's tube-looking arm and pointed it straight at her. "The Time Lord will be EXTERMINATED!" It screeched.

Chelsea shot straight up in bed. Her forehead dripped with sweat and her hands shook. According to her clock, Chelsea had slept for almost fourteen hours. It was the most sleep she had in over a week, but she didn't have time to revel in her personal victory. She climbed out of bed and went to her desk. She grabbed a stack of paper and a pencil and began sketching the elements of her dream. She drew the crowds, the trees, the grass, the mountains, the group of people who walked against the crowd, and she drew the robot. Over and over, she drew the robot until she got it just right. Across another paper, in thick black marker, Chelsea wrote the only words that mattered: Time Lord.

After completing her shrine, Chelsea got changed out her pajamas and grabbed a backpack from her closet, she stuffed it with some of the notes she had written, then she put her shoes on and left her room. Chelsea was on her way out of the house when her mother stopped her. "Where are you going?" She asked. Chelsea stopped walking and turned towards her mum. "Out." She said. Her mother looked worried. "You're not going to see a doctor, are you?" She asked. "No, Mum. I'm going to the library for, um, school work." Chelsea said. Her mother nodded reluctantly and allowed her to leave.

Chelsea pulled her library card out of her wallet and scanned it at the library's front entrance. The scanner buzzed and the automatic doors slid open. Chelsea went over to a computer and began searching. When she typed in the words "Time Lord" to the search engine, the computer began to load then shut-off. When she tried to turn it back on the screen lit up with the letter "T". Something about the ominous appearance of the letter made Chelsea uncomfortable and she decided to switch to book research instead.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

David Coven has never seen or done anything interesting in his life. He's lived in the same town since he was a child and was now spending his adult life working a part-time job as a desk clerk at the public library. His digital watch started beeping which meant that it was time to lock up and close the library. David pulled the keyring out of his desk drawer and walked over to the entrance. He turned the key in the lock and the tumblers clicked. He turned his back to the door and began walking back to his desk when he heard a knock on the glass. He looked over his shoulder to see a professionally dressed woman standing outside. David approached the door and tried to explain to her through the sound proof glass that the library was closed. By reading her lips, David could tell what she was saying back to him. "Let me in. Let me in now. Let me in now, David." She said. When the woman said his name, David was confused. He had never seen her before in his life. After ten minutes of arguing, the woman rolled her eyes and pulled a gun from her pocket. She shot the glass door and it shattered. David stumbled backwards and the woman stepped inside through the empty door frame. "I'm sorry David but I did ask you many times to open the door." Said the woman. David was still in shock. "Y- y- you shot the door!" He cried. The woman looked at the door and sighed. "Yes I did, sorry about that." She said with a smile. She extended a hand to David and he shook it. "I'm here to collect a computer." She said. David started to calm down a bit. "A computer?" He asked. "Yes, I'm Yvonne by the way. Have you noticed if any of these haven't been working properly?" Yvonne browsed the computer area while she spoke. David lifted a hand and pointed to one of the computers. Yvonne walked over to the computer that David had directed her to, she wiggled the mouse and the screen started up. The letter "T" was still displayed on the screen. "Aha!" Cried Yvonne. She began disconnecting the computer from the monitor. "Oy! What do you think you're doing!" David yelled. Yvonne ignored him and continued to unplug things. She leaned over and picked up the computer. On her way out of the library she put the computer down and turned to David. "Sorry dear but I really can't have people knowing about this." She said, then she pulled a bottle out of her pocket and sprayed David with it's strange contents. David's eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed. Yvonne sighed at the sight of him on the floor then picked up the computer and left.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Chelsea arrived home at around five o'clock. Her mother came downstairs to greet her. "Hello darling, how was the library?" She asked. "It was good." Chelsea said, then she walked past her mum and went up to her room. Chelsea had checked out seven books from the library for her investigation. She got a book that contained pictures of every type of tree known to mankind, a book about robotics, a book about deserts, a book about wars, two books about nightmares, and a book about illnesses. For almost ten minutes, Chelsea poured over her books without interruption until her mum payed her a visit. She opened the door and popped her head in. "Lauren Cooper is on the telly, dear." She said. Chelsea didn't even turn around. "I know you love her. Want to come watch?" Her mum asked. "No thank you Mum." Chelsea huffed. Her mother left without responding.

The smell of chips wafted into Chelsea's room from under her door. Her mouth watered and her stomach growled. After a few moments she heard her mum call her and her dad to dinner. Chelsea slipped a bookmark into the book she was reading and closed it. When she got to the table her mom was just setting down a bowl of chips. Chelsea's dad served her some and cut her a piece of steak. After eating in an awkward silence for many moments, Chelsea spoke up. "What can you tell me about my biological parents?" She asked. Her father dropped his fork upon hearing her question and it clattered to the wood floor. "Why do you ask?" Her mother inquired. "Well," Chelsea explained. "I just thought that maybe, since I can't see a doctor for some reason, that I'd try to self-diagnose." "So what do your birth mum and dad have to do with it?" Asked her mum. "Maybe one of them had some sort of health issue." Chelsea said. "I'm sure your parents were perfectly healthy." Her father said firmly. He was sweating again and he loosened his tie a bit.

Late that night Chelsea lay in her bed staring at the ceiling. She was to afraid to go to sleep for the fear that she'd run into the robot again. Something about it spooked her. Her throat began to feel scratchy and dry so she kicked her covers off and got out of bed. When she opened her bedroom door the hallway was pitch dark. She noticed light filtering out into the hall from beneath her parent's door. Slowly and quietly, Chelsea tiptoed across the creaky wood floor to her parent's door. She placed her ear to the door and listened.

"Eve what are we going to do?"

"I don't know Richard."

"We ought to tell her where she comes from."

"But we don't even know where that is."

"All this strangeness, do you think it has to do with it?"

"Without a doubt."

"Is there a specialist we can consult? Perhaps someone in London?"

"We can't tell a soul Richard. They'll take Chelsea away and experiment on her."

"There's got to be something we can do, at least to ease her pain and suffering."

"Any doctor worth two quid will notice her heart right away."

Chelsea took her ear away from the door and stared into the mirror that hung on wall. She looked at herself. Tears bubbled up in her eyes and slid down her cheeks. They told me I came from Wales. She thought. My own mum and dad lied to me. Chelsea walked back into her room, completely forgetting about her dry throat. She unplugged her phone from the wall and turned it on. When it started up she sent a text to her cousin Ellie who was studying to be a nurse. The text read:

Meet me tomorrow at Roger's Diner. Please bring a stethoscope.

Chelsea had never noticed anything strange about her heart before, but perhaps, she thought, some medical equipment would help.

Sleep did come to Chelsea that night and she had dreamed of the robot again. When she woke up, she dressed and went downstairs where her parents were eating breakfast. Her father was reading the Sunday paper. The front page headline caught Chelsea's eye. "David Coven, 36, Has Breakdown and Destroys Library". Chelsea ignored her parents when they said good morning and she turned down the toast and jam her mother offered her. "I'm going into town to meet cousin Ellie." Chelsea said. Her mother opened her mouth but before she could get any words out, Chelsea spoke again. "Don't worry I'm not going to ask her for an examination. I'm telling the truth. I don't keep secrets from my family." She said icily. Her father watched her intently as she left.

When Chelsea arrived at Roger's Diner her cousin wasn't there yet. She sat down at a booth and ordered some tea. She ducked her head down when her friend Sammy came into the diner with her grandparents. Chelsea didn't duck in time because Sammy saw her. "Chelly-baby!" She cried. Chelsea waved to her and stood up. Sammy gave her a huge hug and kissed her on both cheeks. Every since she visited France last summer, Sammy had been greeting people with double kisses. Much to Chelsea relief, the diner was out of free tables so Sammy and her grandparents had to leave. Chelsea was sipping her tea when Ellie walked into the diner. Ellie spotted Chelsea and joined her in the booth. "Hello Lovlie!" She said. Chelsea smiled and they hugged across the table. Ellie reached into her purse and pulled out a stethoscope. She handed it to Chelsea. "You can keep that dear, I've got a load of them." She said. Chelsea placed the stethoscope on the seat next to her and thanked Ellie. The two girls ate their breakfast and chatted about the queen and sports and what's new on the telly.

Chelsea's cab came to a stop in front of the dirt road leading to her house. She paid the cabbie and hopped out. The walk home took about eight minutes and a light drizzle had started to fall when Chelsea reached her driveway. The front door was unlocked when she tried the knob so she opened the door and went inside. All of the lights were off and she didn't hear her parents. They've probably gone out to work the farm. She thought, but when she looked out the kitchen window she didn't see anyone in the fields.

Chelsea went into the bathroom with the stethoscope that Ellie gave her. She took her phone out of her pocket and played audio of a normal, healthy heartbeat. She listened to the heartbeat many times to ensure that she had committed the sound to memory. Finally, she took a deep breath and put the stethoscope into her ears. She lifted the piece on the end and placed it on the left side of her chest. The heartbeat she heard was echo-y and strange. She played the audio of the healthy heartbeat again then she listened to her own for comparison. There was no doubt, something was definitely different. I have to get to an x-Ray machine somehow. She thought. But how do I do that without seeing a doctor? I can't ask Ellie again. She'd get suspicious. Chelsea knew she needed a plan. At the empty kitchen table, she began researching hospitals, clinics, and research facilities. She made a list of all the places that had an x-Ray machine within 50 miles of her house. Once she had her list done she folded it up and slipped it into her school bag, then she turned on the TV and tried to do something normal for the first time in over a week.

At some point during the show, Chelsea dozed off and had a new, more concerning dream.

Chelsea stood on a hill overlooking the smouldering ruins of a city. It wasn't a normal city though, from the crumbled remains she could see pieces of a giant sphere. The building-looking ruins were inside the mangled sphere like a snow globe. Chelsea started delicately picking her way down the rocky hillside. She made sure to test for stability before she took each step. Her father had taught her to do that when they took walks on the rocky seaside when she was a little girl. From atop the hill, Chelsea could see patches of silver in the landscape. She decided to steer clear of the forests for now.

When she finally reached the battered and smoking city, Chelsea had to pull her shirt up over her mouth and nose to avoid breathing in the ash and smoke that clogged the air. She heard a crunch from underfoot and when she looked down to see what had caused the sound she screamed and jumped back. A jawbone was on the ground, cracked in half. Chelsea squatted down and gingerly picked up the bone. She didn't know how, but she knew that it was human, or at least, that it looked human. Chelsea heard footsteps heading towards her so she crawled underneath a piece of collapsed wall. From her hiding spot she had a perfect view of whatever made the footsteps. A young man ran down the road and stopped near Chelsea's hiding spot. He bent over and tried to catch his breath. His eyes were red and puffy and when he breathed it sounded shaky. The sound of a machine started quietly then began to grow louder. The man froze and turned around slowly to face the direction of the sound. A robot, like the one Chelsea had met in the forest, turned the corner and came face to face with the man. He stood up straight and looked at the machine defiantly. "The Time Lords will be EXTERMINATED!" Screamed the machine. The man laughed at the machine. "Explain your amusement!" Cried the machine. The man stopped laughing. "The Daleks won't kill THIS Time Lord!" He said joyfully. The machine started to shake and grow frustrated. "EXPLAIN, EXPLAIN, EXPLAIN!" It cried. The man stopped smiling as he reached into his pocket. He pulled a knife out and, before Chelsea or the Dalek could react, sliced his own throat. His body tumbled to the ground and the Dalek's blue eye moved to look at him. Chelsea put a hand over her mouth to keep her cries inside. She had felt a kinship with this man and she had just watched him take his own life. Whatever a "Time Lord" was, that man was one too, and now, for the first time, Chelsea felt truly alone.

Sunday morning sunlight seeped into the living room and pulled her gently from her sleep. She rubbed her eyes and yawned. Chelsea had been there the day her grandpa died, she watched the light leave his eyes, and now Chelsea felt the same wave of grief she felt then, only this time it was over someone she wasn't even sure existed. Her mother walked into the living room. "Glad to see you're getting some sleep now." She said. According to the grandfather clock by the TV it was 6:00 am. "Did I sleep here since yesterday afternoon?" Chelsea asked. Her father came into the room. "You sure did. You slept all day yesterday! But who can blame you?" He said. Chelsea nodded and stood up. Her parents gave her bright smiles as she left the living room. Chelsea smiled back at them, but not because she was happy about getting sleep, because she had found more than a few pieces of the puzzle last night.

Chelsea waited outside the living room entrance for a moment to see if her parents had anymore valuable information that they weren't sharing with her. Surely enough, they did.

"Richard I don't know what to do anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe you're right, maybe we should tell her."

"We can do better than that. Eve we can SHOW her."

"If your talking about what I think you are then that's out of the question Richard."

"Telling her will make her just as upset though."

"Maybe not."

"You know it will."

"I know."

"So do you want her to know?"

"No."


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Sunday and Sunday night went by quickly and Monday morning arrived with the promise of a long day of education and bad food. Chelsea's parents encouraged her to stay home from school on account of her health but she insisted that she go. Her persistence made her mother suspicious but she allowed Chelsea to go. When Chelsea and her mother pulled up to the school her mother made her wait to get out. "If you feel ill I want you to go to the loo and call me or your father secretly. No nurse. Do you understand?" Her mother asked seriously. "No Mum, I don't." Chelsea said. Then she got out of the car.

When lunch hour finally rolled around, Chelsea didn't go to the cafeteria with everyone else. Instead she headed over to the Administrator's Office. When she opened the door a blast of icy air smacked her in the face and it took a moment to adjust to this new climate. A middle-aged woman behind a large desk waved her over. "Can I help you?" She asked bitterly. "Yes you can. There's a student named Gabe working in here today and I'd like to speak to him please." Chelsea said. The women huffed and picked up the phone. "Amanda is Gabe in here today? Alright send him to the front. Thank you." She said to someone on the other line. A moment later Gabe entered the lobby. Chelsea waved to him then turned to the administrator. "Can we have just one moment please?" She asked. The woman rolled her eyes and left the room. Gabe Anderson was a tall, handsome, dark haired, Scott. He was a thorn in the side of every adult at the school and an all around teen heartthrob. He was also Chelsea's best friend. Gabe was working in the office during his off-classes because he was serving time for cheating on an exam. "Want to go outside to talk? It's absolutely baltic in here!" Gabe said cheerfully. Chelsea and Gabe went outside and sat on a bench in front of the school. "Gabe I need your help." Chelsea said. Gabe's smile faded. "With what?" He asked. Chelsea took a deep breath and spoke. "I need to break into a hospital." Gabe looked surprised for a moment but then a smile spread across his face. "Sounds good to me! My grandma's got an empty, meet me there tonight." He said. He wrote his grandmother's address on a piece of paper and gave it to Chelsea.

"I never liked that Gabe boy." Chelsea's father said when she told him that she was going to meet Gabe. "Well he's my best friend Dad." Chelsea responded. Chelsea's mother offered to drive her to Gabe's grandmother's house. When Chelsea got dropped off she walked up the driveway and knocked on the front door. Gabe opened the door and flashed Chelsea a heart-stoppingly gorgeous smile. The inside of the house was shabby and dark. Chelsea flicked a light switch and nothing happened. "No power." Chelsea commented. Gabe snorted. "Its a bit hard to pay your lecky bills when you're never around." He said. Gabe's grandmother traveled often, usually to tropical places like Spain or Florida. Chelsea reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a folded up sheet of paper. She unfolded it and placed it on the table in the breakfast nook. "What've you got there?" Gabe asked. "Blueprints to the hospital by the bridge." Chelsea responded. "Is that the one that closes up at eight?" Gabe asked. "It sure is." Chelsea said. The two of them looked over the blueprint for hours trying to figure out the best way into the hospital after hours. "What if we try to pan the windows in on the second floor?" Gabe suggested. "We haven't got a ladder that tall." Chelsea said. By seven p.m. a plan had been formulated and it was time to get started. Chelsea opened up her purse and began pulling clothes out. She tossed a black sweatshirt and black pants to Gabe. "Put those on." She said, then she went to the bathroom and began to change into her own black clothes. When they had finished changing Chelsea and Gabe got into Gabe's car and pulled out of the garage.

The drive to the hospital took forty-five minutes and when they arrived the hospital was beginning to empty out. All of the medical personnel had already left and only janitors, desk-workers, and security guards remained. Gabe parked his car in the loading area behind the hospital. They got out of the car and Gabe walked around to the back of the car and opened the trunk. He grabbed a leather jacket and pulled it on. "Really?" Chelsea asked. "You don't have to look cool, the goal is to not be seen, remember?" Gabe winked at her and she rolled her eyes. Chelsea looked up at the hospital and noticed a fire escape running up the back of the building. "Gabe look! That wasn't on the blueprint." Chelsea said. Gabe looked at the blueprint and nodded. "Must be new." He said. Chelsea and Gabe climbed the fire escape until they reached the very top. From the top they were able to get onto the roof. The wind whipped Chelsea and Gabe on the roof and they had to cover their faces. Chelsea's hair blew around and she had to gather it to one side of her head to tame it. A skylight sat in the center of the roof and when Gabe looked through it he could tell that it wasn't a long drop. "We can drop down from here!" He yelled over the wind. Gabe bent down and started pulling upwards with all of his strength. Chelsea joined him and together they were able to get it open. Chelsea got ready to jump but Gabe stopped her. He grabbed her shoulder and turned her around to face him. "Why are we doing this Chelsea? I'm not letting you down there until I know, and don't lie because I can tell when you lie to me." He said loudly over the howling wind. Chelsea started to sweat, despite the cold wind, and her eyes began to tear up. She told him about her parents, and her dreams, her head pain, her heartbeat, Wales, her eyes, the library, the silver trees, the Dalek. The only thing she didn't tell him was about the man that she had watched kill himself, he was only for her. Gabe listened quietly. When Chelsea finished, Gabe rubbed his chin then spoke. "Sounds like we've gotta get you to that x-Ray machine." He said.

The blueprints lead Chelsea and Gabe directly to the x-Ray room with ease. The room was divided into two parts: An operator's area behind a glass wall, and the actual x-Ray area. Gabe went over to the operator's room and began trying to figure out how to operate an x-Ray machine. Chelsea found a hospital dress and went to go change. Once everything was ready, Chelsea got into position for her x-Ray. "Are you sure this is safe!? What about radiation or something!?" Gabe yelled to her through the glass. Chelsea waved his questions away and motioned for him to start the machine. The x-Ray started and Chelsea stayed completely still. When her x-Ray was done she went to go change into her clothes while Gabe figured out how to view her results.

When Chelsea entered the operator's room Gabe was sitting a swivel chair looking at something. He didn't turn to face her. "You'll want to see this." He said shakily. Chelsea came up behind him and looked over his shoulder. He held her x-Ray in his hands. Gabe began pointing to different things on the x-Ray and explaining them. "First and foremost, notice the two hearts. One on either side. Then over here there's a second set of lungs. Also notice the extra ribs." As Gabe was speaking Chelsea watched his finger move from oddity to oddity. "You've got two spleens, one on each side. Over here you'll see the four kidneys. With two hearts I guess you'll be needing more of everything. Here you can see a third jugular vein, I'm pretty sure you're only supposed to have two of those. Your liver looks a tad small as well." When Gabe finished he handed the x-Ray to Chelsea. "That's just what I noticed, but it looks like you have four of everything you're supposed to have two of and two of everything else." He said. Chelsea didn't even bother to ask Gabe how he knew all about the human anatomy because she was in a daze. "Am I some sort of mutant?" She whispered. "Like the X-Men? Nah. I don't think you're human. Maybe a 'Time Lord' is some kind of alien." Gabe said casually as he spun around in the swivel chair. If I'm an alien then that would explain why my parents are all hung-up about telling me where I come from. Chelsea thought.

Gabe dropped Chelsea of at her house at ten o'clock. When she got inside her mother and father were standing in front of the doorway with their arms crossed. "You're in a load of trouble Miss. You were told to be home at eight." He father said angrily. "I was busy." Chelsea said rudely. "Oh you were busy? Doing what, I might ask." Her mother said. "I was busy getting this." Chelsea said, and she slapped her x-Ray onto the kitchen counter. Her parents looked at the x-Ray. "It's mine you know." Chelsea said. "Anything you want to tell me?" She asked. "Come with us." Her father said. Chelsea followed her parents outside and into their fields. They walked until they reached an empty meadow with a shabby shed in the middle of it. Chelsea had never been to this part of the farm before, nor had she ever seen the shed. Her father picked up a rock from the ground and turned it over revealing a key taped beneath it. He removed the key and unlocked the shed. Chelsea followed him inside. The shed had no floor. "I built this shed around the crater." Her father said gesturing to the mangled earth. In the crater's center was a small pod about the size of a five year-old. Weeds and spider webs had covered the pod like a blanket but it was still visible. "Your mum and I found you on the ground maybe three meters away from this thing." Chelsea's father said. Her mother entered the shed. "We think you were in it at some point but you got ejected from it. You were pretty beat-up looking when we found you." Her mother said. "So you found me in a field, like from a bloody comic book." Chelsea said angrily. "We wanted to let you live a normal life, but you were constantly doing strange things." Her mother said. "Like what?" Chelsea asked. "When you were four you lost your balance and fell into Aunt Krissie's pool." Her father said. "So?" Chelsea asked. "You were outside alone so nobody noticed you fall in. When we did spot you in the water you had been under for a good twelve minutes. Your Uncle Brandon dove in and when he carried you out you told us that you wanted a snack. Chelsea you held your breath for over ten minutes." When her father finished speaking, Chelsea left the shed and ran back to the house.

A week went by and nobody spoke of Chelsea's "condition". In fact the Smith family had hardly spoken to one another at all. Life went on as usual with Chelsea and her parents trying hopelessly to deny the fact that she wasn't human. Gabe stopped by a few times, but Chelsea refused to see him so he left.

One night, Chelsea was lying in bed reading a novel on her phone. She heard a strange sound from across her room and she sat up quickly. Her window was sliding open slowly. Chelsea reached for her bedside lamp and turned it on. Gabe tumbled through her window and landed on the floor. Chelsea got out of bed and helped him up. "What are you doing here Gabe?" She asked. Gabe opened up his bag and pulled his laptop out. "I found something you need to see." He said. Chelsea joined Gabe on the floor and watched as he started up his computer. "This is the video diary of a bloke named Elton Pope. If I had seen this before I would've dismissed him as a twally, but now that I've got an extraterrestrial best friend I'm willing to believe pretty much anything." When he finished talking, Gabe hit the play button. The video was long but it was worth watching. "We've got to talk to this Pope fellow." Chelsea said when the video ended. Gabe smiled. "That's my girl." He said. "Get dressed. We'll go now."

Gabe was waiting in his car for Chelsea. When she got in, he started the engine and they headed to the adress listed on Elton's website.

Elton Pope lived in an apartment building by London. Chelsea and Gabe found his flat and they knocked on the door. A sleepy, disheveled looking man answered the door. "Can I help you two?" He asked. "Are you Elton Pope, the author of this blog?" Chelsea handed him a screenshot from his website. Elton took the paper from Chelsea and looked at it. "Yes I am." He said solemnly. "Are you here to tell me how crazy you think I am? Because I'm not insane." He said. "We don't think you're crazy. We need to talk to you about LINDA, your old club." Chelsea said. Elton invited Chelsea and Gabe inside and he walked them over to a couch. "Let me go get you some tea." He said. Elton's home was a small loft with a large window and a low ceiling. A few minutes later Elton returned with a tray of tea and a piece of concrete under his arm. He set the tea down on the coffee table then he propped the concrete chunk up on the couch. The face of a woman protruded out of the concrete. She smiled at Elton then spoke to Gabe. "Well hello there! Elton and I don't get many visitors!" She said. "Bloody hell!" Gabe screamed as he scrambled off the couch and away from the woman. "That's the missus from the video! She's real!" He cried. "Of course I'm real!" The concrete woman snapped. "My name is Ursula." She said. "Hello Ursula. My name is Chelsea Smith and this is my friend Gabe Anderson." Chelsea said. Elton handed teacups to Chelsea and Gabe, then he sat down. "So where are you from?" He asked them politely. "We live in Westonbrough although neither of us are from there." Chelsea answered. Elton nodded and for a little while everyone but Ursula sipped their tea in silence. "So do people usually think you're a loon?" Gabe asked Elton, breaking the silence. "Quite often actually." Elton said sadly. "I can tell. The outside of your flat's been tanned." Gabe said. Elton looked confused. "Tanned means vandalized. Gabe uses a unique vocabulary." Chelsea said. Ursula grew tired of small talk and interrupted. "Care to share why you payed us this late night visit?" She said impatiently. "Oh right!" Chelsea said. "Elton, Ursula, what do you know about this "Doctor" guy?" Elton and Ursula looked at one another and you could tell that they were having a silent conversation that only they could understand. "Turn me Elton!" Ursula demanded. Elton did as he was instructed and turned Ursula to face Chelsea. "I think that a young girl has no business worrying about the Doctor!" Ursula said firmly. "But I have questions, important questions!" Chelsea cried. "I don't care! The Doctor has done enough in our lives and we won't be bringing him back!" Ursula yelled. "Leave our home!"

After Ursula's outburst, Elton escorted Chelsea and Gabe to the door. When they reached the hall, Elton pulled a slip of paper out of his pocket and slid it into Chelsea's hand.

"Meet me here tomorrow." He whispered, then he shut the door.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Chelsea was home and in bed before her parents even noticed that she had left to see Elton. She slept soundly that night knowing that she had found another person to help her.

The morning before school was miserable. Chelsea had put her shirt on inside-out and she accidentally put soap on her toothbrush instead of toothpaste. To please her parents, she ate some breakfast but it made her feel sick. Chelsea had noticed that recently she'd been running on significantly less food than usual. When she ate regulary it made her feel stuffed and sick. Like usual, her mother dropped her off at school but instead of kissing her goodbye, Chelsea just got out of the car without a word.

All day Chelsea thought about her meeting with Elton later. Doubt tugged at the corner's of her mind like a child trying to get his mother's attention. Chelsea worried that Elton might not have any valuable information. She dismissed these doubts and instead tried to be optimistic, at least she had found someone with useful knowledge. Chelsea was shocked out of her thoughts when a crumpled up ball of paper hit her arm. She looked in the direction it had come from and saw her friend Sarah trying to get her attention without alerting the teacher. Sarah pointed at the paper and Chelsea uncrumpled it. Written inside was a note from Sarah.

You've been acting odd lately. Is something wrong?

Wait, never mind. That's none of my business.

Anyways, you're coming to Glee Club after school? We've got a show coming up and you missed yesterday's rehearsal.

Love,

Sarah

Chelsea wrote a response on the back of the paper and tossed it back to Sarah.

I can't. Busy.

After class Sarah stopped Chelsea in the corridor. "If you keep missing rehearsals you'll be out of the show Chelsea!" She said urgently. "I just can't do today. I'll show up to all the others I promise." Chelsea said as she pushed past her. Chelsea walked off the campus and began heading to the location that Elton had told her. Her mother wasn't going to show up to the school until six because she thought that Chelsea had rehearsals.

Elton's chosen meeting place was a public pool center just outside of Westonbrough. When Chelsea arrived she had to pay three pounds to get in. There goes my cab fair for the ride back. Elton had better have some good information. She thought. Sitting by the shallow-end of the pool with his feet in the water, was Elton. When he saw Chelsea he waved to her and took his feet out of the water. Chelsea walked over to Elton and shook his hand. "Hey Elton." She said. Elton returned her hello and then lead her over to a pool chair with a duffel bag sitting on it. He took a thick yellow folder out of the bag and handed it to Chelsea. "This contains copies of all the notes that I took about the Doctor along with notes that I took at LINDA meetings. Also I included my phone number in case you need any help." He said. "Thank you so much Elton. I can't tell you how much this means to me." Chelsea said gratefully. Elton nodded and smiled, then he went back over to the pool. Chelsea left the pool center and sprinted back to her school. She arrived just as her mum was pulling in. Chelsea slipped the folder into her schoolbag and got in the car. "How was Glee Club?" Her mother asked. "It was great. We've got a great song." Chelsea lied. "Oh that's nice. What song?" Her mother asked. "It's, um, 'Defying Gravity' from that play with the witches." Chelsea stuttered. "Wicked!" Her mum exclaimed. "I love that play! It's too bad you're not performing that." She said. Chelsea was taken aback. "What do you mean?" She asked her mum. "I stopped by the school to drop off food for the community potluck tomorrow and when I looked into the music room I didn't see you. So, do you want to tell me where you actually were?" Chelsea mother explained. Defeated, Chelsea told her mother about Elton and his information. Chelsea's mother didn't reply and the ride home continued in silence.

Chelsea placed the folder in her nightstand drawer and sat down at her desk. She hit the power button on her desktop and waited for it to start up. When the computer had loaded up, Chelsea opened up her search engine and typed in Elton Pope's name. Along with his blog, hundreds of websites discrediting him and his "discoveries" popped up on the screen. Chelsea must've read over thirty web pages disproving Elton's story before she fell asleep at her desk.

When Chelsea woke up the next morning she rubbed her stiff neck and yawned. She still sat in her desk chair. Chelsea checked her computer for the time. She was an hour late for school. Chelsea rushed downstairs to find her parents. Her mother sat in the living room watching BBC News. "Mum why didn't you wake me!?" Chelsea exclaimed. "Your school is closed today." Her mum said. "But its Wednesday." Chelsea said, confused. "Didn't your hear the storm last night? The power in your school is out. Besides the roads are too flooded to drive anyway." She said. Chelsea walked over to the window and looked out at the backyard. Rain battered the landscape and a small tree was lying on the ground. At least five inches of water bubbled past lawn chairs in the yard and wind made whooshing and whistling sounds as is breezed by. Chelsea went back upstairs and grabbed Elton's folder from her drawer. "He's a loon. More that half of the United Kingdom thinks so." Chelsea said aloud. She opened her bedroom window and tossed the folder through it. The wind grabbed the folder and papers flew out of it. Chelsea watched Elton's work grow soggy and break apart in the flood waters with a jumbled up feeling of pride. Once she had seen enough, Chelsea closed her window. Her phone vibrated and she picked it up. The screen lit up with Gabe's photo. Chelsea hit the answer button and put the phone to her ear.

"Hey Chelsea!"

"Hey Gabe."

"Did you meet Elton last night?"

"Yup."

"Well? What happened?"

"He gave me a folder."

"Did you read it?"

"No."

"Good, I'll come over and we can look at it together."

"We can't."

"Why?"

"I destroyed it"

When Chelsea told Gabe what she had done he hung up without explanation. Chelsea sat at the edge of her bed and watched the rain outside. Hours passed and she didn't move. Around lunchtime, Chelsea's mother came into her room. When she saw her daughter she screamed in horror. Chelsea was lying on the floor, unconscious.

Chelsea woke up in her bed. Her parents were both standing over her, watching. She sat up slowly and her head spun. Chelsea's mother laid her back down and placed a warm, wet washcloth on her forehead. "How do you feel?" Chelsea's father asked. Chelsea groaned and closed her eyes in response. Periodically Chelsea's parents returned to check on her. Eventually the room stopped spinning and Chelsea got out of bed. She walked down the hall and went into her parents' room. Her mother and father were lying on their bed watching TV. "How are you honey?" Chelsea's father asked her. "I'm fine." Chelsea said absently. She joined her parents on their bed and watched television with them until dinnertime.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Yvonne Hartman sat at her large glass desk. She looked into a compact mirror and fixed her lipstick. One of her employees entered her office. "Ms. Hartman there's a video call for you." She said. "Thank you Addy I'll check it right away." Yvonne said, then she dismissed the young lady. Addy went back to her desk and transferred the video call to Yvonne's Macbook.

When her laptop began pinging, Yvonne put her makeup away and tapped the enter key. The face of one of her agents popped up. "It's come to my attention that a young lady and man from Westonbrough are showing suspicious interest in Subject 362867." He said. Yvonne was alarmed. "What sort of interest?" She asked. "They've been in contact with conspiracy theorists and a medical student." Yvonne made notes of what her agent was saying. "Is the medical student a concern?" She asked. "No ma'am." The agent replied. "Have you set up surveillance?" Yvonne questioned. "I attempted to smuggle a camera into the girl's home, but it was destroyed." The agent said. "Do you have another plan?" Yvonne asked, frustrated. Sensing his boss's frustration at his camera fluke, the agent grew nervous. "Um, yes ma'am. I plan on making contact with the girl's parents at a community event later today." He said. "Good luck. I'll expect a report on your plan's success, or lack thereof." Yvonne said, then she closed her laptop. She rubbed her temples and took a deep breath. Dealing with that agent always gave her a headache. He was utterly incompetent but he was also extremely valuable to Torchwood.

A light bulb in Yvonne's office flickered and she rolled her eyes. From her window she could see the construction site of the new Torchwood Tower. Every day it grew taller and taller, and in just a few months she would be able to set up her new office. Until then she'd just have to cope.

Yvonne's close friend and colleague Rajesh Singh came into her office. He greeted her warmly then approached the window. "I can't wait to get to work in that tower." He said dreamily. "I've already begun preparing the formulas we'll need to study that strange occurrence." He continued explaining his plans and Yvonne listened politely. When Rajesh left her office to go and continue his work, Yvonne called Addy into her office. "Yes Ms. Hartman?" Addy asked when she arrived. "Have Sebastian bring up that library computer. I'd like to run a scan on it now. I've waited long enough!" Yvonne responded. Addy nodded and left the office.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Although the biggest storm England had seen in years raged outside, the small town of Westonbrough refused to cancel it's yearly community potluck. Chelsea's mother insisted that they attend because she had already contributed a pan of meatloaf and she wasn't ready to let it go uneaten. The flood waters were three inches deep and tree branches clogged the roads. Chelsea's father clutched the steering wheel as he tried to navigate in the torrential rain. Every so often Chelsea or her mother would have to get out to clear fallen branches or guide the car. When the Smith Family finally arrived at Chelsea's school, where the potluck was being held, they were surprised to see that there was actually quite a large turnout.

The smell of food and rain filled the air in the parking lot. Chelsea and her parents ducked their heads and rushed into the school cafeteria. At least sixty families bustled around in the cafeteria. Chelsea's parents went to go get food and left Chelsea behind. Even though the food looked delicious and the smells were tantalizing, Chelsea was not hungry at all. Across the cafeteria Chelsea could see Gabe sitting with his mother, grandmother, and little sister. Gabe loved his mother and sister to pieces. He was the man of the house and he took his responsibility very seriously. Chelsea walked over to them and sat down at their table. Gabe's little sister Ailsa jumped out of her mother's lap and ran over to Chelsea. She put her little arms in the air. "Up! Up!" She exclaimed. Chelsea lifted little Ailsa onto her lap. "Ola ali Chelsea." Gabe's grandmother said. "Hello Grandma Anderson." Chelsea replied. "How are things Chelsea?" Gabe's mother asked. "Oh the usual." Chelsea lied. Gabe got out of his seat and lifted Ailsa off of Chelsea. "Go to Mommy." He said, putting her on the ground. Ailsa toddled over to her mother. Gabe took Chelsea by her wrist and led her outside. The rain still poured. Gabe looked worried. "How are things?" He asked. "Fine." Chelsea answered. "No Chelsea, seriously. How are things for real?" Gabe persisted. Chelsea felt horrible for shutting him out for so long. All he wanted was to help her out and she never let him. "My parents showed me where they found me. It was in a field by our house." She told him. Gabe rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. "Alright. Thank you for telling me." He said. Chelsea nodded.

When Gabe and his family went home Chelsea decided to find her parents. She spotted her parents sitting at a table with someone else. Chelsea couldn't see who they were sitting with because his back was facing her. When she got closer she could see who it was very clearly. It was Elton Pope. "What are you doing here?" Chelsea asked him. Chelsea's mother took it upon herself to answer Chelsea's question. "Chelsea, this is Mr. Pope, he-" "I know who he is." Chelsea interrupted. "I'd never miss a good community potluck!" Elton said. Chelsea wasn't buying his answer. "Yeah but this isn't your community. You live in London which is almost an hour away." She challenged. "Chelsea! I won't have you disrespecting this nice man, now apologize and have a seat." Chelsea's mother scolded. Chelsea slunk over to the seat next her father and sat down. For the rest of the event, Chelsea's parents and Elton Pope made friendly conversation while Chelsea watched Elton closely. "Mrs. Smith this meatloaf is positively brilliant!" Elton exclaimed. In front of him was a plate piled high with Chelsea's mother's meatloaf. Chelsea's mum blushed and smiled widely. "Oh Elton we must have you over for dinner one day!" She said. Elton smiled back. "I'd like that." He said.

The drive home from the school was just as perilous as the ride there and what should've taken fifteen minutes, lasted an hour. At home, Chelsea's father turned on BBC News and, as he had expected, the storm wasn't nearly finished with it's reign of terror. According to the anchor it was expected to last another few days. The forecast was wrong because the storm lasted much longer than a few days. The weekend arrived and it was still raining. Chelsea had plans to go visit her shed on Saturday but the field was much too muddy to go walking in.

On Sunday, Chelsea was reading in her bedroom when she heard a doorbell. She went downstairs and opened up the door. Chelsea couldn't believe her eyes, Elton Pope stood on the porch holding flowers. "I'm here for dinner!" He said happily. Chelsea's mum came up behind her and smiled. "Elton you made it! Come in, come in!" She exclaimed. Elton entered the house and handed the flowers to Chelsea's mum. "Is Richard around?" Elton asked. "I sure am!" Chelsea's father said, entering the room. He slapped Elton on the back and greeted him. "Great of you to make it!" He said. While this warm exchange took place, Chelsea stood there flabbergasted. "Let's leave the ladies to make some of my wife's famous meatloaf. You and I are gonna go enjoy some quality telly!" Chelsea's father said as he lead Elton out of the kitchen.

When Elton and Chelsea's father had left the room Chelsea's mum began taking out the ingredients for her meatloaf. "Will you grab me some bacon from the refrigerator?" She asked. Chelsea got the package of bacon and placed it on the counter next to her mother. "What is he doing here Mum?" Chelsea asked. "He's our dinner guest and you're going to be a lot kinder than you were last time." Her mother answered crossly. Chelsea didn't speak after that and helped her mother in silence. When the meatloaf was done Chelsea went to get her father and Elton for dinner. Throughout dinner Chelsea watched Elton closely but there was almost nothing abnormal about him. He made small talk, complimented the decor, commented on the weather, and did all sorts of other normal boring things. Towards the end of the meal Elton finally said something out of the ordinary. "So Chelsea, where are you from?" He asked. At the same time both of Chelsea's parents responded. "Wales." Strange. I don't recall mentioning to him that these aren't my biological parents. Chelsea thought.

Later that night, after Elton had left, Chelsea received a phone call from Gabe. "Hello?" She said.

"Chelsea? It's Gabe."

"Hey."

"Guess who inexplicably became best friends with my gran."

"Who?"

"Elton Pope."

"You're kidding! He's been hanging around my parents too. Something is going on with Elton. It's like he's stalking us."

"According to my gran, all he wanted to talk about was me and you."

"I've got another call coming in Gabe, I'll call you later ok?"

"Ok bye."

The other call turned out to be an annoying telemarketing recording. Chelsea hung up on the company and called Gabe back but he didn't answer. The next day at school Chelsea visited Gabe in the administration office. "You're back in the office huh? What'd you do?" She asked him. "I was watching telly in the teachers' common area during one of my classes." He confessed. Chelsea laughed at her friend's skill for getting into trouble. "After school do you want to come over to my place?" Gabe asked. "Sure!" Chelsea replied. She loved visiting Gabe's house because she absolutely adored his family, especially little Ailsa.

After school Chelsea's mother dropped her off at Gabe's house. "I'll pick you up at nine." She said. Chelsea knocked on the door and Gabe's mother answered. "Hello Ms. Anderson." Chelsea said. Gabe's mother's maiden name was Blair, but even though it's been years since her husband left, she kept his last name of Anderson. For some reason she still believed that, one day, he'd come home to her and their children. The fact that she kept his name broke Gabe's heart but there was no changing her mind. Ailsa toddled over to Chelsea. "Gab isn't here Chessie!" She said happily. A smile spread across Chelsea's face, nothing cheered her up like the constantly happy three year-old.

Gabe got home soon after Chelsea arrived. When he got inside his usually perfect hair was tousled and his face was red. "You. Kitchen. Privacy. Now." He gasped. Chelsea followed him into the kitchen and he shut the door behind them. Gabe turned the sink on and stuck his head under the faucet. He opened his mouth and swallowed water for what seemed like forever. When he had finished, Gabe wiped his face and turned the faucet off. "Well? You said we needed privacy for something." Chelsea said. "Oh right!" Gabe exclaimed. "So I was walking home from Tescos and you'll never believe what I saw while I was walking past the dog park." Gabe said. Chelsea shrugged her shoulders and Gabe continued. "A blue police box." He said. "That's not funny Gabe, you shouldn't be joking about Elton." Chelsea said crossly. "I'm not! It's true come see!" Gabe exclaimed.

The dog park was four kilometers away from Gabe's house, but he and Chelsea walked because of the flooded roads. When they arrived Gabe led Chelsea towards a fountain. "This doesn't make any sense." He muttered. "It was right here, a big blue box." Something caught Chelsea's eye while Gabe was trying to figure out where the box went. Two Tescos shopping bags sat in the grass. "Gabe you didn't happen to drop your groceries when you saw the police box did you?" Chelsea asked. "Yeah why?" Gabe asked. "I found them." Chelsea replied, pointing at the bags. Gabe retrieved his groceries and the duo walked back to Gabe's house in silence. "That wasn't funny Gabe." Chelsea said as they walked. Gabe sighed. "It wasn't a joke."

Gabe's mother insisted that Chelsea and Gabe wear blankets when they got home. Their clothes were drenched and Gabe was sneezing. Wrapped in fuzzy throw blankets, Chelsea and Gabe compared notes on Elton. "He showed up at my house for dinner and he was chatting up my parents at the potluck. Oh, and he asked me where I was from and I'm positive I never told him that I was adopted, or found." Chelsea said. Gabe wrote down what she said on a small dry erase board. "Here in Gabe-land, Elton has become close friends with my grandmother. She said he stopped by with home-made meatloaf late last night." Gabe said. Chelsea busted out laughing. "What? What's so funny?" Gabe asked. "My mum gave Elton some of her meatloaf to take home last night!" Chelsea exclaimed between laughs. Gabe joined her in laughter. "What sort of rubbish stalker reuses things!?" He cried. When they had calmed down Gabe continued talking. "I also bumped into him at Tescos earlier. He was in the cat food aisle." Gabe said. "Did you see a cat at Elton's flat?" Chelsea asked. Gabe shook his head. "Neither did I." Chelsea said. When the board was full Gabe set it down on the coffee table. "Thoughts?" He asked gesturing to the board. "I think we're being stalked." Chelsea said. "I agree." Gabe said solemnly.

Chelsea's mum picked her up from Gabe's house and when they got home she asked Chelsea to take the dustbins inside. Chelsea walked down the driveway to get the dustbins. Something stuck to her shoe and when she peeled it off she saw that it was a piece of paper. Chelsea looked where the paper was before she stepped on it and found Elton's file. Some soggy papers were still inside of it. When Chelsea opened the folder every paper inside was blank. There was no runny ink or smudged pencil marks, they were just blank. "That liar!" Chelsea exclaimed. She grabbed the dustbins and ran inside. Chelsea took the soggy papers into her bathroom upstairs and plugged her hair dryer into the wall. She began blow-drying the folder and the papers. Chelsea pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialed Gabe's number, she put the phone between her ear and shoulder and waited as it rang. When Gabe answered, Chelsea explained to him what she had found . "So he's been fake since the beginning." Gabe said. "Yup. Put that on the board. I've gotta go, bye." Chelsea said then she hung up. The papers dried crinkly and brittle but it was better than nothing. Chelsea slid them back into the folder and put her hair dryer away. After the bathroom was cleaned up, Chelsea went downstairs and out to the porch where her parents were sitting. "I'm going for a bike ride. I have my mobile so you can call me." She said. Her parents nodded and allowed her to go. Chelsea went into the garage and wheeled her bike into the road. She climbed onto it and typed Elton's address into her phone's GPS app.

The ride took almost three hours but when Chelsea arrived she felt energized. She knocked on the door of Elton's flat. No response. Chelsea knew that Elton might've been out but Ursula would be home. She knocked again and again but there was still no response. Chelsea tried the doorknob and it was unlocked. Slowly, carefully she opened the door.

Elton and Ursula's flat was empty. Completely empty. There was no furniture and the kitchenette was completely empty of food. Chelsea had no idea what to do. Elton had disappeared.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"The personnel relocation forms you submitted went through Ms. Hartman." Addy said. "Yvonne please. Never Ms. Hartman, Addy." Yvonne reminded the young woman. Addy smiled and left the office. Yvonne loved the crisp whiteness of the new Torchwood Tower. All that separated her and her workers was a thin glass window. Everything was high tech and glossy. An empty white wall at the end of the desk area was the focal point of the room. Yvonne liked to think that this enormous wall stood for new beginnings and fresh starts.

Addy knocked on the glass and Yvonne motioned for her to come in. "Here you are." Addy said, presenting Yvonne with a packet of papers. Yvonne took the packet from Addy. On the bottom of each sheet Yvonne signed her name. The forms were used to relocate field agents when they had finished their mission or were compromised. Yvonne was glad to be signing away on these forms because the farther this agent was, the better. He had gotten the information that Torchwood needed in a reasonable amount of time but he wasn't classically trained and his lack of professionalism really strained Yvonne.

Torchwood has first hired this agent because they thought he had valuable info on Subject 362867, which he did, to a degree. Most of the information he offered them they already knew but there was the occasional new discovery. When the two youths began showing interest in classified information Torchwood deployed him as a field agent. His home had close vicinity to the targets and his reputation preceded him in that area.

Based on the knowledge gathered by the agent, Torchwood now knew that the ring leader of this potential threat was a young lady called Chelsea Smith. She was under careful observation at all hours of the day ever since she used a "Torchwood Key Word" on a public computer. Torchwood Key Words were specific words and phrases that the tech department screens for. When one of these key words are caught in a binary net they are catalogued based on how serious a threat they are to the agency and to the United Kingdom. There are four classes. Bronze Class, the lowest class, includes key words like "Invasion", "London at Christmas", and all phrases including "Aliens". Silver Class, still of low importance, includes key words such as "Abduction", "Threat", and "Spaceship". The Gold Class, phrases of potential importance, includes key words like "Time machine", "Queen", "Hostile", and "Space". Then there's the Platinum Class. If a word falls into the very small group of Platinum Class key words then the computer goes into shutdown and a tracking device activates so that it can be retrieved by a Torchwood agent or, in rare and important cases, Yvonne herself. Platinum Class key words include the names of any and all know alien species, "Torchwood", "Police Box", and anything relating to Subject 362867.

According to the computer that Yvonne confiscated from the library, the Platinum Class word that activated the Torchwood shutdown was "Time Lord".


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"Ok Chelsea calm down. What do you mean 'gone'?" Gabe asked. "I mean vanished, gone, poof! No Elton, no Ursula! They've disappeared." Chelsea said frantically. "Maybe they've gone on holiday." Gabe suggested. "Right right. The local kook takes his concrete girlfriend on a holiday where they bring all of their food and furniture." Chelsea said sarcastically. Although she was being completely serious Gabe found what she had said to be hilarious.

After finding Elton's empty flat Chelsea hopped on her bike and tore over to Gabe's house. He didn't believe a word she said and he even asked if both of her hearts were working properly, to which she replied by punching him in the shoulder. "Fine Chelsea, you head home and later tonight I'll drive down there and have a look, alright?" Gabe said. Reluctantly, Chelsea agreed.

When she got home her parents looked concerned. Chelsea felt bad for worrying them but not too bad. "Sorry, I got caught in a bit of a jam." Chelsea said when she found her parents seated in the living room. "That's alright Chelsea. Why don't you go upstairs and have a bath." Chelsea's father suggested. Chelsea nodded and headed upstairs to her bedroom. She kicked her shoes off and grabbed her pajamas before heading into the bathroom. As Chelsea stood in shower, thoughts swirled around in her mind. As far as she could tell Elton had no reason to leave. Maybe he figured out that we were onto him. Chelsea thought. She turned her back to the shower head and rinsed the shampoo out of her hair. When Chelsea got out of the shower she dried off and put her pajamas on. In the back of her mind Chelsea could tell it was going to be a tough night so she turned in early.

Chelsea's eyes flicked open and she was lying on the ground in the middle of a crowd. She was surrounded by people wearing red and gold armor and bodysuits. They all carried weapons and some were very battered looking. When Chelsea tried to stand up she was racked with pain. A woman carrying a large weapon in a red body suit bent down next to Chelsea. "No stay down and finish. We'll get you to safety but don't move." She said. Chelsea lay back down. She lifted her hands up and noticed that they were strange looking. For some reason the hands Chelsea was seeing didn't resemble her own. A hazy golden glow swirled around Chelsea's hands and she watched it. A shock of pain pulsed through her body and Chelsea saw two large men rush at her. One of them picked her up and slung her over his shoulder while the other man followed them with a gun.

The men brought Chelsea to a cave in the cliff side and set her down. "When you're done head to the city." One of the men said. "Watch out for Neverwheres." The other man said, placing his gun down next to Chelsea. Before Chelsea could ask them what on Earth they were talking about the two men left. Lying alone in the cave Chelsea did the only thing her body allowed her to do, think. Why does everyone keep telling me to "finish" or "wait until I'm done"? What's a Neverwhere? She thought. Something glinting at the back of the cave caught Chelsea's eye and she dragged herself towards it. The source of the glints was a slab of shiny rock. Chelsea propped herself up on her elbows and looked into the stone. It reflected Chelsea's appearance like a mirror. The girl looking at Chelsea wasn't her. Her eyes were brown not green, her hair was dark brown and long, and her face didn't resemble Chelsea's at all. In the rock Chelsea could see the golden glow working it's way up her neck until it surrounded her face. Chelsea's strength returned without warning and on instinct she stood up. A burning sensation filled her body and she screamed in pain as golden light like fire shot out from her sleeves and shirt collar. When the glow died Chelsea spun around to look into the rock again. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her own reflection. She was back to normal.

The smell of pancakes woke Chelsea up Tuesday morning. She stretched her arms and yawned. The memories of Chelsea's dream last night flooded into her head and she got out of bed and ran into the bathroom. Chelsea looked in the mirror and made sure that she still looked like herself, she did. Downstairs a plate of pancakes sat on the table waiting for Chelsea. When she finished getting ready for school she came downstairs and ate her breakfast before departing for school.

It was a normal day at school and at lunchtime Chelsea excused herself to the school's library. In the library Chelsea browsed the bookshelves in the "w" section. She was looking for an encyclopedia of wars. When she found the book she checked it out and sat down at a table to begin her research. Chelsea's temporary history teacher Mr. Finch noticed her choice in books and joined her at the table. "Interested in wars?" He asked. "Actually just one war in particular." Chelsea replied without looking up. "Which one, perhaps I can offer some information." Mr. Finch said. Chelsea closed the book and looked at her teacher. "Well that's just it Mr. Finch. I have no idea which war. All I know is that it was modern and one side wore maroon and gold." Chelsea said. Mr. Finch thought for a moment before speaking. "Malaysia perhaps? Their national colors are red, yellow, blue, and white." He said. "No it wasn't red and yellow, it was maroon and gold. Also I'm positive it wasn't Malaysia. It was English because I could understand them." Chelsea realized that she wasn't making any sense and she decided to end the conversation with Mr. Finch thinking she'd gone mad. "You know what? Never mind. Thanks for the help Mr. Finch it probably was Malaysia." She said then she slid her book into the return box and left the library. Once Chelsea was gone Mr. Finch pulled out his cellphone and sent a text. It read:

To: YH .uk

From: Finch .uk

Subject: Smith

tempus belli deobstructa

Chelsea met Gabe in the school's parking lot after classes. "Did you go see Elton's flat?" She asked. Gabe nodded. "I went during lunch. I wonder what was going on with that bloke." He said. Chelsea agreed as she climbed into the passenger seat of Gabe's car.

Gabe dropped Chelsea off at home. Chelsea's mum and dad's cars were gone when she walked up the driveway so she had to use the unlocked back door to get into the house. Chelsea dumped her school bag in her bedroom and went downstairs to the kitchen for a snack. Wedged in the mail slot on the front door Chelsea noticed an envelope. She grabbed some yogurt from the refrigerator and opened it up. Once her snack was ready Chelsea grabbed the envelope and sat down with her food to read it. The enveloped was crisp and white and the stamp it bore had a letter "T" on it. Chelsea examined the stamp for a moment trying to remember where she had seen that image. The library! That's where I've seen this. This is the letter "T" that appeared when the computer crashed all those weeks ago! Chelsea remembered. Her curiosity was peaked and Chelsea tore the envelope open. She pulled an official looking document out of the envelope and unfolded it.

TORCHWOOD INSTITUTE

DIRECTOR YVONNE HARTMAN

DATE: 21/11/14

To the Smith Family,

Your presence is being requested at Canary Wharf in London on Saturday, November 26th at twelve o'clock noon. Failure to arrive to this meeting will result in the immediate incarceration of all members of the party including minors. As of right now your place(s) of residence are under 24 hour surveillance and will remain that way until the date of your meeting. Any attempt at fleeing the country to avoid the meeting will result in arrest and you will be charged with treason.

On the rare occasions that Chelsea was hungry she enjoyed eating but after reading the letter the thought of finishing her yogurt made Chelsea want to vomit. She grabbed her phone and called her mum.

"Where are you Mum?"

"Hello to you too Chelsea. I'm at the mall with your dad. He desperately needs new shirts."

"Come home now. Both of you."

"Is something wrong?"

"Yes Mum, something is very wrong."

"Alright. We're leaving now."

Chelsea's mum hung up the phone. Chelsea threw her yogurt away and put her phone in her pocket, then she ran upstairs and grabbed three suitcases from the linen closet. Chelsea filled one suitcase with her clothes and shoes, some toiletries, and a few other items of value. When she finished, Chelsea dragged the other two suitcase into her parents room and flung them onto the bed. She filled one suitcase with her mum's clothes and belongings. Chelsea opened her father's closet and began filling her arms with trousers and shirts and shoes. She packed all of her father's clothing into the third suitcase. Wow, Mum was right. Dad does need to do some shopping. Chelsea thought upon seeing the half empty suitcase. Taking advantage of the extra space in her dad's suitcase Chelsea grabbed some necessities like shaving cream, shampoo, toilet paper, and she also added a few books. She dragged each suitcase down the stairs and piled them by the back door. Fifteen minutes later Chelsea heard a car pull up and she looked out the window to see her parents' cars. Chelsea mum rushed inside and grabbed Chelsea. "Are you hurt? Is everything alright?" She asked worriedly. Before Chelsea could answer her mum her dad noticed the suitcases. "Why are these out?" He asked, unzipping one. "And filled with clothes?" Chelsea retrieved the letter from the table and handed it to her father. He read it, stony faced. When he finished he handed the paper to his wife. "I don't see the fuss. We're good people. Its just a meeting." She said. Chelsea's father took the letter back. "If 'good people' got invited to these meetings do you really think they would threaten with criminal charges or set up surveillance?" He asked his wife. Chelsea's mum shook her head and began to cry. "Why Richard? What've we ever done to these 'Torchwood' people." She asked hysterically. Chelsea's dad grabbed the suitcases and opened the front door. "I'm loading these in the car. We've got to go, now." He said. "But Dad the surveillance!" Chelsea exclaimed. "We'll take my car, its in the garage." He said.

Once the car was packed, the Smith family got into the car and buckled their seat belts, each of them knowing that life would never be the same again.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Nobody spoke in the car. Chelsea's father focused on the road and nothing else, Chelsea's mum cried silently, and Chelsea just stared out the window. She couldn't help but feel guilty for all of this. She had seen the Torchwood logo in the library but she never said anything. Desperate for something to occupy her time, Chelsea decided to text Gabe and let him know that she's safe. When Chelsea pulled her phone out her father slowed the car and turned in his seat to face her. "What are you doing?" He asked. "Just texting my friend so they don't worry." She said. Chelsea father plucked the phone from her hands and tossed it out the car window. "Dad!" Chelsea cried. "As of now we are fugitives Chelsea. Fugitives do not text friends for casual conversation." He replied then he tossed his own phone out the window. Chelsea's mum rolled her window down and threw her phone out onto the road as well. "Richard where are we going?" Chelsea mum asked her husband. "Scotland." He replied. The drive from Westonbrough to Scotland would take a little under nine hours. "Don't we have to go through London?" Chelsea asked. "Yes but we still have a few days before our meeting so I doubt they'll be looking for us around Canary Wharf." Chelsea's dad replied. The level-headedness of her father was suspicious to Chelsea because as far as she knew her dad had lived and worked on a farm his whole life.

After hours of driving, Chelsea's father stopped in the parking lot of a motel. "Where are we?" Chelsea asked. "Leeds, halfway there." He answered. Chelsea's father checked them into a room for the night, then carried the suitcases inside.

Later that night Chelsea's mum and dad lay sleeping in one of the two beds. Chelsea couldn't sleep so she sat up in bed and watch television. The seedy television in the motel room looked like it was fresh out of the 1980s. Chelsea kept the television's volume on low but her father stirred anyway. "Chelsea what's wrong? You should sleep." He said groggily. "I can't." Chelsea replied firmly. "Fine." Her father said before lying down and going back to sleep. Eventually Chelsea fell asleep watching a cooking show.

The next morning Chelsea's mum called room service and ordered breakfast for everyone. Chelsea's father was taking a shower while Chelsea and her mum sat at the table and did a crossword in the paper. Someone knocked on the door three times and when Chelsea's mum peered through the peep hole in the door she could she a young man with a cart of food. She unlocked the door and placed her hand on the knob. The door swung open before Chelsea's mum had even turned the handle. The young man pushed the food cart aside and stepped into the room. He pulled a gun from his coat and pointed it at Chelsea's mum. "Get over there." He said gruffly and he motioned with his gun for Chelsea's mum to go sit at the table where Chelsea was. Two more men and a young woman with guns arrived. The woman was maybe twenty years old with long blonde hair. Her badge was visible in her pocket and Chelsea could see that her name was Jenny. "Please leave us alone we haven't done anything!" Chelsea's mum sobbed. She was growing more and more hysterically by the second. "Restrain the mother." Jenny said to one of the male agents. "No please!" Chelsea's mum screamed as an agent grabbed her arms and held her still. Chelsea stood up and began tugging at the man holding her mother. "Grab her." Jenny said. The other two agents pulled Chelsea off of their comrade and held. She kicked at them and screamed. Chelsea tried to twist out of their grip but they tightened their hold of her until it hurt. "We told you what would happen if you tried to leave England." Jenny said icily. Chelsea's mother spat at Jenny and she spun around face her. "Bad idea lady." She said. The agent holding Chelsea's mum pulled a rag from his pocket and held it over her mouth and nose until she stopped wriggling and relaxed. The agent let her fall to the floor. Jenny poked at Chelsea's mum with her foot. "Put her in the truck." She said. The agent picked Chelsea's mum up off the floor and carried her outside. Jenny turned back to face Chelsea. "Such a pretty Time Lord." She said. Chelsea stopped struggling and looked at Jenny. "What?" She asked. "We know what you are Chelsea. We also know about your pal Gabe. He came to his meeting last night, why didn't you plan on showing up to yours?" Jenny asked. "What did you do with Gabe!?" Chelsea cried. "We arrested him for aiding a wanted criminal, you." Jenny replied. Chelsea was furious and she started to struggle again. "Take her to the truck boys." Jenny said. "No! Let me go! Dad!" Chelsea screamed. The agents dragged Chelsea out of the motel room and tossed her into their truck next to her passed out mother.

From the window in the back of the truck Chelsea could still see into the motel room. "Dad!" She screamed as she pounded on the door. Chelsea saw her father barge out of the bathroom with his hair still soapy. "Hey!" He cried rushing at Jenny who was still inside. Jenny pulled a gun from her pocket and shot Chelsea's father in the chest three times. "NO!" Chelsea screamed from inside the truck. "No! Dad! Please No!" She screamed. Jenny stepped over Richard's body and walked out of the motel room. She got into a black car parked next to the truck and drove off. The truck followed.

Chelsea curled her knees up to her chest and buried her face in between them. However much she wanted to she couldn't cry, in fact, she felt no sadness whatsoever. The only emotion Chelsea could feel was hot, bubbling, fiery, undeniable rage. Her mother slowly began to stir and she groaned before sitting up. "Where are we? Where's your father?" She asked. Chelsea helped her mother sit up. "We're in the back of a Torchwood truck and Dad, um, got away." Chelsea said. "Got away?" Her mother asked. "Yeah." Chelsea replied. For the rest of the ride neither Chelsea or her mother spoke. When the truck finally stopped two unfamiliar men opened up the back door. They grabbed Chelsea and her mother and put burlap sacks over their heads before leading them into the unknown.

When an agent took the bag off of Chelsea's head she was in a cell. "Where am I?" Chelsea asked. "You're in Torchwood's underground tunnel network used for housing alien lifeforms." The agent replied. Chelsea's cell was basically just a cave with bars at the entrance but it was a prison all the same. The agent locked the cell door and left Chelsea alone in her misery. Hours passed and Chelsea stood at the front of her cell with her hands on the bars. As far as she could see were empty cells identical to hers. From the looks of it, Chelsea was the only prisoner in the entire tunnel.

The sound of high-heels clicking against the stone ground approached rapidly and Chelsea craned her neck to see who it was. A woman with brown hair and professional attire approached Chelsea's cell. She extended her hand to Chelsea through the bars, Chelsea ignored it. "Chelsea Smith I presume. My name is Yvonne Hartman, its a pleasure to meet you at last." The woman said. "Yvonne Hartman? Your name was on my letter, it said you were director." Chelsea said. Yvonne smiled. "Ah clever, that seems to be a common trait among your people." Yvonne said. "Yes I am director here at Torchwood and I've been interested in you for quite some time. Remember that day at the library? My agents have been keeping a close watch on you, but you did most of our work for us!" Yvonne exclaimed. "What do you mean?" Chelsea asked. "Normally we'd do a medical examination on you but there's no need since you went and got one yourself, with our help of course." As Yvonne spoke she pulled a copy of Chelsea's x-ray from a messenger bag at her hip. "You didn't think two kids could really break into a hospital on their own undetected, did you?" She asked sarcastically. Chelsea was furious. Torchwood had been interfering with her life for months and she was tired of it. She swung out at Yvonne through the bars and she missed her by a few inches. Yvonne didn't even flinch, in fact, she seemed to be enjoying Chelsea's frustration. "You're much different than the last Time Lord I met, but then again, we didn't have him cornered." Yvonne said. Chelsea was too angry to care about Yvonne's words. She's probably lying. Chelsea thought. She's never met another Time Lord. "Someone will be by later with your lunch dear." Yvonne said, then she walked away.

Chelsea walked to the back of her "cell" and sat on the cot. Exhaustion flooded her body and she fell asleep.


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Chelsea was pacing back and forth in her cell when the lunch Yvonne had promised her arrived. A young woman slid it into Chelsea's cell through a slot in the bars. Hungry for the first time in awhile, Chelsea grabbed the metal tray and sat on the floor. As Chelsea was raising a spoonful of mashed potatoes to her mouth she heard an unfamiliar voice. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." It said. Chelsea dropped her spoon and jumped up. "Who's there?" She asked. Chelsea couldn't see anyone in the tunnel and she was alone in her cell. "Why shouldn't I eat?" Chelsea asked. "Can't you smell it? In the food." The voice said. Chelsea picked up her tray and smelled the food. "It seems perfectly fine." She said. "Goodness what have the done to you?" The voice took on an astonished tone. "You must've been quite a lot if you can't even smell the aspirin. I can smell it from here!" Chelsea was beyond confused. Using her spoon she shifted the potatoes around and found three or four pills. "So what? Its just aspirin." She said. The voice returned. "Just aspirin! That stuff is fatal to Time Lords! Looks like Torchwood is worse than I thought." When the voice had finished Chelsea felt sick. She put the tray on the ground. "Thank you for that." She said. "Why won't you show yourself?" "Oh right! Sorry." The voice exclaimed. A buzzing sound filled the cell and a blue light shone from the dark corner. The burnt out light bulb on the cave ceiling came to life and illuminated the room. Standing in the corner was a man. He was thin and friendly-enough looking. He wore a suit and a trench coat and red Converse All-Stars. Chelsea couldn't help but smile when she saw his strange appearance. Something about him made her feel very safe and she could almost "sense" him in the way one senses they are being watched. "Who are you?" Chelsea asked. "I'm The Doctor." He said. "How do you know so much about Time Lords?" Chelsea asked him. "Well, I ought to know what kills a Time Lord since I am one!" The Doctor said. Chelsea couldn't believe what she had heard. There was another Time Lord and he was standing right in front of her. "Are you the Time Lord Yvonne said she had met before?" Chelsea asked. "Yes I am." He replied. The Doctor pointed his blue light at the cell door and it swung open. He motioned for Chelsea to exit. "After you."

Chelsea and The Doctor ran through the tunnels. "Were you raised in England too?" Chelsea asked as they ran. "No. Why?" The Doctor asked. "Well you have an Estuary accent so I was just wondering." Chelsea said. The Doctor didn't get to respond because he and Chelsea had reached the end of the tunnels. There were two doors. One leading into the above ground prison and one leading outside. "We have to go save my mother!" Chelsea exclaimed. The Doctor groaned. "Its always the mothers." He grumbled. The upstairs cells were in the Torchwood building and housed actual humans.

Up a flight of stairs Chelsea and The Doctor entered a long brightly lit hallway with prison cells lining the walls. "Go and find my mother, she has brown eyes and light brown hair. Last time I saw here she was wearing black trousers and a green shirt." Chelsea said. "Why me, where are you going?" The Doctor asked. "I have to find my friend." Chelsea replied before running off down the hall. As she ran she looked into each cell she passed. Finally in about the twentieth-or-so cell she found Gabe. He was sitting on his cot playing an invisible harmonica. When Chelsea stopped in front of his cell he looked up and smiled. "Chelsea!" He exclaimed. He got up and ran over to the bars. "What are you doing here?" He asked. Chelsea began examining the padlock. "Busting you out." She replied. "Good luck! I've been fiddling with that thing since I got here, not even I can bust it." Gabe said dejectedly. Chelsea kept messing with the lock, desperate to save her friend. "Chelsea? Chelsea its you!" Chelsea's mother cried when she turned the corner and saw her daughter. She ran over and grabbed Chelsea in an embrace. The Doctor followed shortly after and took the padlock from Chelsea's hands. He pulled out his little blue light again and unlocked it. Chelsea opened up the door and Gabe came bursting out. He grabbed Chelsea in a hug then turned to The Doctor. Gabe's smile faded into a judgmental expression. "Who the hell are you?" He asked. "I'm The Doctor and you're welcome by the way." The Doctor replied. Gabe nodded. "Now what Doctor? Yvonne said you'd been here so, how do we get out?" Chelsea asked. The Doctor thought for a moment before replying. "If we go back down to the caves we can take the exit we passed. That's probably our safest choice." He said. Chelsea, Gabe, The Doctor, and Chelsea's mother all raced down the hall towards the stairs.

The Doctor was right and they didn't bump into a single guard on their way out. Once outside they dodged security cameras until they reached the borders of Canary Wharf's property. From a shop across the street where they were lying low Chelsea's mother commented on the tower. "I never would've suspect Canary Wharf of something so sinister." She said. The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Ms. Smith I'd appreciate if you'd stop calling it Canary Wharf. It's called Torchwood Tower." He said. "Excuse you but it isn't 'Ms. Smith' it's 'Mrs. Smith'." Chelsea's mother said. The Doctor looked at Chelsea worriedly. "Gabe can you come and help me with something please? I think Chelsea and her mother need a moment." The Doctor said. Sensing that something was wrong, Gabe followed The Doctor to another part of the shop. "Mum I have something to tell you." Chelsea said. Her mother nodded slowly, nervously. "Torchwood came because they found out about me being from another planet." Chelsea said. "I sort of suspected that." Chelsea's mother said. Chelsea continued. "After you passed out in Leeds they put you into a truck. Then Dad came to try and save us but Jenny... shot him. She shot him three times." As Chelsea was speaking she searched inside of herself for grief and sadness but she still could not find any.

Tears started to pour down Eve Smith's face. The man she had loved since high school was dead.

"Mum I'm sorry." Chelsea said. She reached out to her mother to give he a hug but she was shoved away. "Don't touch me." Chelsea's mother said. Chelsea didn't understand what her mother was doing. She tried again to hug her mother and was rejected once more. "Mum I don't understand." Chelsea said. "Just don't touch me! My husband, my only family, is dead an it's your fault!" Chelsea's mother screamed. Shoppers began to turn and stare at the commotion. "Mum please." Chelsea said. Tears finally came and her voice shook. "What about me, Mum? You still have me, your daughter." Chelsea pleaded. "I have no daughter." Chelsea's mother said hollowly then she looked at Chelsea with hatred in her eyes. "Mum please!" Chelsea's voice cracked and her words were hysterical. "I am not your mother." When she finished speaking Eve Smith turned away from the girl she had raised, and left.

Chelsea watched through the shop's window as her mother walked down the sidewalk and hailed a cab. Chelsea wiped the tears from her eyes. "I know you two were listening." She said aloud. Gabe and The Doctor came out from behind a shoe display. Gabe gave Chelsea a hug and The Doctor hugged her after. "She's right though. If I hadn't gone that day to the library and used the computer Torchwood would have no idea who we are." Chelsea said. The Doctor look upset at what Chelsea had said. "It isn't your fault. You found out that you weren't human for heaven's sake! It isn't a crime to be curious, if it was I'd be in for life!" The Doctor cried. Customers were now openly staring at the spectacle that was Chelsea and her friends. "Perhaps we should duck out of here?" Gabe suggested, noticing the crowd they were drawing. "Good idea." The Doctor said solemnly.

Chelsea, Gabe, and The Doctor left the shop and headed down the road to a nearby park. The park was almost completely empty besides a few old ladies feeding birds and a sweaty jogger. "Chelsea look!" Gabe said, pointing at something in the bushes. Chelsea looked in the direction of Gabe's finger and saw a great big blue box sitting among the shrubs and trees. "That's the box I saw at the dog park on my way home from Tescos!" Gabe exclaimed. "Oh that was you?" The Doctor said. Gabe didn't hear The Doctor's question because he had bounded over to the bushes and was examining the box. He brushed his fingers on it as he walked its exterior. "Gorgeous." He whispered. The Doctor bent over to Chelsea and said: "Your friend and I are going to get along just fine." Gabe's face was aglow as he examined The Doctor's box. "Why does it say 'Police Box' on it?" Chelsea asked. Gabe turned around to hear The Doctor's response, it was obvious that he had planned on asking that questions himself. "It's called a TARDIS. She's supposed to camouflage to match her surroundings but the Chameleon Circuit got stuck in 1960s England when police call boxes were common." The Doctor explained. "Well can't you fix it?" Gabe asked. The Doctor shrugged. "I could. But I like it this way, besides, the TARDIS's appearance is the only thing all of my regeneration can agree on." He said. Chelsea and Gabe looked confused. "Oh right, we'll get to that later." The Doctor said. Chelsea put her hand on the side of the TARDIS. "I think a police box suits you. After all you seem to be quite good at helping people." She said. The Doctor smiled a bright smile and walked over to his TARDIS. "Want to take a look inside?" He asked. Before Chelsea could respond Gabe pushed passed her. "Yes!" He exclaimed. The Doctor produced a key from his pocket and unlocked the door then he snapped his fingers and the TARDIS's doors swung open. Gabe raced inside. Chelsea remained outside with The Doctor. "Nice trick." Chelsea commented. "You think so? I friend of mine that I haven't met yet taught it to me in an outer-space library." The Doctor said. Chelsea was beyond confused but she didn't bother asking for an explanation. She heard Gabe shouting happily from inside the TARDIS and she decided to go and join him. "Chelsea! It's bigger on the inside!" Gabe cried. The Doctor followed Chelsea in and closed the doors. "First lesson: Time Lord technology, it's always bigger on the inside." He said. Chelsea marveled at the enormous room. She glanced up at the high ceilings and she examined the strange swirling columns that bordered the room. The Doctor began explaining the TARDIS in all her glory to Chelsea and Gabe. "So this can take us anywhere in time and space?" Gabe asked. "Correct." The Doctor replied. "So, the moon?" Chelsea asked. "Yup." The Doctor said.

"France?"

"Yes."

"Last Thursday at teatime?"

"Uh-huh."

"The American Colonies?"

"Been there done that."

"Mesopotamia?"

"Yup."

"Ancient Egypt?"

"Indeed."

"How about England in 2050?"

"Yes, and its not as nice as you think it'd be."

Chelsea was amazed and for a moment the beauty of the TARDIS wiped away everything that had happened in the last few months. "Chelsea I think you should go and talk to your mother." Gabe said, placing his hand on her shoulder. Chelsea's joy disappeared. "Good idea." She said. The Doctor approached the console and began typing and hitting switches. At one point even began mashing a button with a mallet. The TARDIS rocked violently, knocking Chelsea and Gabe off their feet more than once. "Sorry! It's a bit rough with just one pilot!" The Doctor shouted over the noise.

After a few minutes of vomit-worthy shaking, the TARDIS came to a stop. Chelsea opened the door and saw that they were in her front lawn. Gabe and The Doctor followed Chelsea out of the TARDIS. "What should I say to her?" Chelsea asked no one in particular. Gabe placed his hand on her shoulder. "Whatever comes to mind." He said. Chelsea took in a breath and nodded then she walked up the driveway and into the house, leaving her friends outside.

Gabe and The Doctor watched Chelsea go inside her house. When the door closed behind her, Gabe turned to The Doctor. "Isn't there anything you can do?" He asked. The Doctor thought for a moment. "Maybe. There might be one thing." He said.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Chelsea opened up her front door and stepped into the house. All of the lights were off except one upstairs. Chelsea discovered that the source of the light was her mother's bedroom. Chelsea knocked on the door and it slowly swung open. "Mum?" She said softly. Chelsea walked into the room and saw her mother sitting on her bed with a shoe box. "What's that?" Chelsea asked, joining her mother on the bed. She didn't respond but Chelsea could see it was a box filled with old photos. The grainy pictures depicted photos of her parents as teenagers and twenty-somethings. "I lost my best friend and it's your fault." Chelsea's mother said. "I'm sorry Mum! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for anything to happen! Do you really think I want to be like this?!" Chelsea cried. Chelsea's mother ignored her apology and kept blaming he over and over like a broken record. "You did this. It's your fault. He's dead because of you. Why did you do this? You caused this."

Down in the front yard Gabe could hear the shouting match going on between Chelsea and her mother. It frustrated him that Mrs. Smith wouldn't take Chelsea's apology. He turned to The Doctor. "You said there might be something you can do to help?" He asked. The Doctor put his hands in his pockets and nodded his head. "Yes but Chelsea probably won't go for it." He said. Gabe pointed to the open window that the shouting was coming from. "Listen to that. I think you should at least offer." He said. The Doctor agreed and he and Gabe walked up the driveway and went inside. Gabe saw Chelsea sitting on the stairs with her head in her hands. "I thought you were talking to your mum." He said. Chelsea just shook her head. The Doctor sat next to Chelsea and put his arm around her. "I can help her, but I need your approval to do it." He said. Chelsea picked her head up and wiped her eyes. "To do what?" She asked. The Doctor cleared his throat. "I can take away all of her pain. I know it works because I've had to do it before." He said. "But?" Chelsea asked. "Taking away the pain involves taking the memories associated with the pain. So memories of you and your father will be erased. It'll be like she was never even married, she can go find another bloke and have a family and not deal with the grief of being widowed for the rest of her life." The Doctor said. Chelsea sat quietly for a couple of minutes. She thought about her mother's pain and of all the chances she'd lose because of her sadness. A tear slid down her cheek. "Do it." She said.

Chelsea, Gabe, and The Doctor stood in the kitchen. "Gabe go and collect photos from around the house. Any pictures of Chelsea or her dad must go." The Doctor said. Gabe ran off to go complete his task. "Will every memory go? Will it be like a huge chunk of her life is just missing?" Chelsea asked. "All memories not involving your or your father will remain, so that great movie she saw, the girls' night out, the nice relaxing bath all of those will stay and her brain will do its best to fill in the foggy bits." The Doctor replied. "Ok. Let's do it." Chelsea said. "Mrs. Smith!" The Doctor yelled. "Mum!" Chelsea yelled along with him. After yelling over and over, Chelsea's mum finally came downstairs and into the kitchen. "What?" She asked. "Mum The Doctor can help if you let him. He says he can take away all of the hurt you're feeling." Chelsea said. "I'd like to see him try." Chelsea's mother scoffed. The Doctor stepped towards her and placed his hands on her head, placing his thumbs on her temples. He closed his eyes and furrowed his brow. Chelsea's mother began shaking violently. The entire matter only took a minute but to Chelsea it seemed to drag on forever. When The Doctor removed his hands Chelsea's mother collapsed into his arms. Gabe came rushing into the kitchen with a bag full of picture frames and photographs. Chelsea could see the pictures from the shoe box were dumped in there. "Is it over?" He asked. "Yes. Can you help me get her to the couch?" The Doctor asked. Gabe set the bag down and helped The Doctor carry Mrs. Smith out of the kitchen. Chelsea watched the woman who used to be her mother get carried away by the only two people she had left in the world. She noticed the bag of photos lying on the ground. Chelsea grabbed a match from one of the kitchen drawers and struck it. She tossed the match and the bag into the fireplace and watched her mother's memories be engulfed in flames.

After Gabe and The Doctor returned from the living room The Doctor suggested that they leave before Chelsea's mum wakes up. Chelsea and Gabe sat next to each other in the TARDIS while The Doctor stared at a monitor intently. "Now what?" Gabe asked, breaking the heavy silence. The Doctor pushed his monitor aside and turned to face Chelsea and Gabe. He leaned back against the console and crossed his arms. "Come with me Chelsea." He said. "What?" Chelsea asked. "You have so much to learn about yourself and only me to teach you. Being a Time Lord means so much, and you have to know who you are." The Doctor said. Gabe looked at Chelsea. Just by looking at her you could tell that her mind was working out a difficult decision. "I'll come with you. I've got nothing left here." She said. The Doctor smiled, excited at the idea of having company after so long. Words could not explain the feeling he got when he knew that he had found someone who could travel with him for not just their "forever" but for his too.

The rush Gabe was feeling ever since escaping Torchwood Tower disappeared when Chelsea agreed to join The Doctor. He wanted to ask her to stay and not go, but he knew that wasn't fair. Suddenly Chelsea spoke. "Come with us Gabe." She said. Gabe and The Doctor both wore equally shocked expressions. "You're as much a part of this as anyone. Come with us." She said. Gabe looked at Chelsea then at The Doctor. "If you want to come then you're welcome to Gabe. You're a good man, it'd be my pleasure to have you aboard the TARIDS." The Doctor said. "Can I see my family? Once, before I decide." Gabe asked. The Doctor turned back to the console and began flipping switches and smashing buttons. After a moment of violent shaking The Doctor turned back around. He motioned towards the door. Gabe and Chelsea got up and walked towards the door. Gabe pulled it open and saw the inside of his garage. He stepped out of the TARDIS. "Give me a few minutes." He said to Chelsea. She nodded and went back inside, closing the door behind her. Gabe took a deep breath and opened the door to his house.

"Gab!" Ailsa cried when Gabe came through the door. She toddled over to him and waved her arms around. He picked her up and held her. "Why you gone Gab?" She asked him seriously. "I had to help Chelsea." Gabe replied. "Chessie!" Ailsa exclaimed. "Why Chessie need help?" Ailsa asked. "Chelsea was lost and she needed help getting home." Gabe said. "You help Chessie?" Ailsa asked. "Yup." Gabe replied. Before Ailsa could ask another question Gabe's mother and grandmother came into the house from the back porch. "Gabe, honey, you're ok!" Gabe's mother exclaimed, giving him a hug. She took Ailsa from his hands and smiled at him. "Is something wrong?" She asked. "I got the chance to go and travel and see the world." Gabe said. "That's great news!" His mother said cheerfully. "But I'd have to leave now, and I don't know when I'd be back or, if something bad happens, if I'd be back." Gabe said. Gabe's mother's face sunk. "Oh." She said. "Its alright though, I'm not going to go. I have to stay here for you guys." Gabe said. "Oh shut-up ye bampot!" Gabe's grandmother exclaimed. Her outburst shocked everyone including little Ailsa who's eyes were wide as saucers. "Yer going on that trip because I'm tired of seeing yer mopey face around here all day! Go out and live before yer old and full of regret." She said. Gabe looked to his mother once more. "She's right Gabe. You need to go." She said. Gabe grabbed his family and pulled them closed. They all hugged one another until Gabe's grandmother grew tired of affection and pushed everyone away. "Now don't forget to call." Gabe's mother said. "And bring souvenirs." Gabe's grandmother said. "For Ailsa, of course." She added hastily. Gabe kissed his grandmother and told Ailsa to be a good girl and that he'd come home soon. His mother began to cry and Gabe hugged her tightly one more time before kissing her goodbye. Gabe turned to leave and when he was stepping out the door her felt something grab his leg. Ailsa was holding onto to Gabe's pant-leg. "Where is Gab going?" She asked sadly. Gabe crouched down and looked Ailsa in the eyes. "Can you keep a secret Ailsa?" He asked. She nodded her head violently. Gabe pulled her close and whispered in her ear. "I'm going everywhere." He said.


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"Well?" Chelsea asked when Gabe opened up the TARDIS's door and stepped inside. Gabe's smile already revealed his answer. Chelsea rushed over to him and hugged him tightly. "Welcome aboard Gabe Anderson." The Doctor said.

Late that night Chelsea watched The Doctor fiddle with the controls on the console. Gabe had gone to sleep in one of the TARDIS's many rooms and the two Time Lords stayed awake and kept one another company. "Chelsea can I ask you a question?" The Doctor said suddenly. "Sure." Chelsea replied. "Would you have been upset if Gabe didn't join us?" He asked. The purpose of the question confused Chelsea, but she answered anyway. "Yes, I think I would have been." She said. The Doctor was quiet for a moment, then he placed his hand on Chelsea's shoulder and looked her in the eyes. "Take it from me Chelsea. Never, ever, get attached to people. Especially humans." He said solemnly. "Why?" Chelsea asked. "Because no matter how hard you try or how much you lov- I mean care about them, they'll never last as long as you will." He said.

Chelsea knew from the way The Doctor spoke that he had lost people he had cared about.

She just didn't realize how many people he had lost.

Not yet.


	15. Cast

Credits:

David Tennant as The Doctor

Georgia Moffet as Jenny

Loukas Giorkas as Gabe Anderson

Tracy Ann Oberman as Yvonne Hartman

Marc Warren as Elton Pope

Shirley Henderson as Ursula Blake

John Green as David Coven


End file.
